Xanadu Next

What it’s like

Xanadu Next offers a nostalgic, isometric dungeon-crawling experience rooted in the classic Faxanadu legacy. You play as a resurrected knight on a nonlinear quest to find the legendary Dragon Slayer sword, navigating a world filled with secrets and hidden paths. The core loop revolves around real-time hack-and-slash combat that emphasizes positioning and back-stabbing mechanics over complex skill trees, creating a flow state reminiscent of early Diablo titles but with Falcom’s signature pacing. While the narrative is straightforward—rescuing a kidnapped village chief’s daughter—the tone is elevated by an exceptional J-pop soundtrack and atmospheric world-building. The game prioritizes exploration and discovery, rewarding players who venture off the beaten path. Despite dated polygonal visuals and a lack of controller polish, the experience remains captivating for fans of traditional action RPGs who value tight combat loops and immersive audio design over modern graphical fidelity.

Strong in Audio / MusicExploration / WorldAtmosphere / MoodCombatGameplay / MechanicsProgression / ReplayabilityStory / Narrative

Keep in mind The visual style is noticeably dated and may feel unappealing to players expecting modern graphics. Additionally, the game suffers from clunky controls and a lack of controller support out of the box, which can hinder the fluidity of its action combat.

AI-generated from catalog data, informed by reviews from pcmag.com, gamefaqs.gamespot.com, metacritic.com, rpgsite.net, reddit.com, destructoid.com.